Tag Archives: Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man is best as the underdog. Against the unstoppable Juggernaut, yeah, he’s very much the underdog.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #229, Juggernaut pursues the psychic Madame Web, and only Spider-Man is available to come to her aid. But he’s totally ineffectual against an invulnerable opponent who’s as strong as the Hulk. He seeks help from other superheroes, but they’re all out of reach (conveniently for the story, inconveniently for Spidey). It’s all on him. He tries. He fails.

But for Spidey, failure is motivation. Someone was counting on him, and he let her down. That hits hard, especially given his previous failures in life. So he picks himself back up and resolves to capture the Juggernaut, no matter the personal cost, and issue #230 shows Spidey giving it all he’s got until he prevails.

It’s a great structure for a two-parter. The hero fails, regroups, and perseveres, because like hell he’s failing again.

Aunt May discovers that her nephew Peter is Spider-Man—which means he’s been lying to her for years. It’s the sort of thing that requires setting aside some time to chat…perhaps an entire issue to chat.

The Amazing Spider-Man #38 (or #479, since the cover plays it both ways) features no super-heroic action whatsoever. It’s just Peter and May talking. Between all the history behind the conversation and how well J. Michael Straczynski writes it, it’s engaging throughout, full of emotion rather than melodrama. Both characters have been holding secrets in, and the release is scary, relieving, and scary all over again.

A nice touch is how much credit the story gives Aunt May. She had often been portrayed as elderly and frail, but here Straczynski gives the impression she’s a remarkably resilient old lady, and she would have to be to single-handedly raise a teenager after her husband’s murder and in the face of repeated health problems and financial troubles.

Straczynski had a memorable run on Spider-Man a few over fifteen years ago, and this was the best thing he did with the book. It needed to happen (though I’m pretty sure it was retconned along with Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage, alas).

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Penciler: John Romita Jr.

Inker: Scott Hanna

Cover: Kaare Andrews

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; included in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2: Revelations (TPB)

Well, of all the darn luck. Spidey’s just going about his usual routine of switching back to his civilian clothes in an airport closet, and in walks the most unethical photographer ever…with his camera ready. And of course the guy slips away because Spider-Man prioritizes helping people in need over catching the man who’s carrying negatives of Peter Parker’s face.

It’s a great Spider-Man scenario, and it plays out in a single issue. I’m not sure why the cover calls this a “Special Issue,” but it’s good stuff throughout, featuring a consistently in-character Spider-Man who needs to figure out how far he’s willing to go to preserve his secret identity.

With a solid script and pencils by Bob Layton, The Amazing Spider-Man #262 is classic ‘80s Spidey done right. And the cover is a nice change of pace, too.

The best comic book series in the 1960s was easily The Amazing Spider-Man. More than any other book at the time, Spider-Man put character first and did so without skimping on the excitement. It set the template for many teenage superheroes to follow, but at the time there wasn’t anything quite like it.

Issue #11 serves as a great example of a typically solid ‘60s Spidey story, incorporating relationship drama, well-choreographed action, and a fallible hero. I first read this one as a kid in the ‘90s, about thirty years after it debuted, and I loved it. It’s not timeless, but it holds up remarkably well compared to its contemporaries.

Doctor Octopus returns for (I think) only his second appearance…and who’s that picking him up as he’s released from prison? Why, it’s Betty Brant, Daily Bugle secretary and Peter Parker’s first girlfriend. How about that? Should Peter maybe reconsider his decision to tell her he’s Spider-Man?

Stan Lee’s story is plenty engaging, and Steve Ditko’s layouts bring the action to life. And to spice up the typical hero/villain confrontation, Spidey sprains his ankle right before the fight starts. And that’s classic Spider-Man in a nutshell—he’s the guy who hurts himself before the bad guys even get the chance.

Writer: Stan Lee

Penciler: Steve Ditko

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues; Marvel Unlimited; Comixology; included in The Essential Spider-Man vol. 1 (TPB)